Cigarette extinguisher and ash tray



Jan. 17, 1950 H. R. WORTHING 2,494,979

CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER AND ASH TRAY Filed March 31, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheetl )9 INVENTOR. l3 fiarowfiil Varzhmg 6 myawrza.

Jan, 17, 1950 H. R. WORTHING CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER AND ASH TRAY 2Sheets-Sheep 2 Filed March 51, 1948 INVENTQR. Harold E. Worfhjrzy A'ITDRN EYS Patented Jan. 17, 1950 CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER AND ASH TRAY HaroldR. Worthing, J anesville, Wis.

Application March 31, 1948, Serial No. 18,281

4 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to tobacco users appliances ofthe ash-tray and extinguisher type for cigarettes and equipped with amovable extinguishing member, and more particularly to an improvedcigarette extinguisher and ash tray having an air-tight receptacle and.crushing jaws by means of which a lighted cigarette may be completelyextinguished and then released to fall into th receptacle, therebyeliminating lighted embers and maintaining the receptacle in safe andsanitary condition. The cigarette extinguisher and ash tray of myinvention may be manufactured at comparatively low cost for table orfioor use, as well as for use in automotive vehicles, to insure anappliance that is simple in construction and operation, and which willextinguish lighted cigarette or cigar butts and dispose of the buttswithout objectionable and undesirable smoking of the butts afterextinguishing.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be describedand more specifically set forth in the appended claims. In theaccompanying drawings I have 11- lustrated a complete example of aphysical embodiment of my invention in which the parts are combined andarranged in accord with one mode I have devised for the practicalapplication of the principles of my invention.

It will however, be understood that changes and alterations arecontemplated and may be made in these exemplifying drawings andmechanical structures within the scope of my claims without departingfrom the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cigarette extinguisher and ash trayshown in closed position and in which my invention is physicallyembodied.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the closedappliance, as at line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a similar view,partially broken away, showing the appliance in open position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view at line li-t of Fig. 2; andFigure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view at line 55 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the fixed jaw or vise member ofthe extinguisher.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the movable jaw or vise member of theextinguisher; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the guide for the movable vise memberor jaw.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawings I employ a containerl fashioned of suitable material that will adapt the appliance forvarious uses, and preferably of oblong shape, one end wall of which isopen and provided with a clean out-door 2 having a bottom hinge 3, andthe door fits neatly within its opening to provide a substantiallyair-tight closure. For cleanout purposes the door is provided with anexterior knob or handle 4 for opening the door, and in closed positionthe door is firmly secured by means of a spring catch 5 on its free edgethat co-acts with a spring keeper or hasp 6 attached on the inner sideof an end wall of the container.

The oblong container is closed by a cover or flat top i that forms atray, and the tray is equipped with an interior funnel shaped well orhopper 8, with a number of holders 9, for cigars or cigarettes, arrangedaround the upper open end of the hopper. Near the top of the containeran interior horizontal partition II] is fixed to form a lowersubstantially air-tight receptacle, and the lower or inner end of thehopper, which is open to the receptacle, is rigidly mounted on thepartition, while the upper open end of the hopper is rigid with thecover plate or top tray 1 of the container.

Within the receptacle an extinguisher is mounted for crushing thelighted end of a cigarette or cigar butt, as indicated at C by dottedlines in Fig. 3, and the extinguished butt is then dropped into theclosed receptacle. The extinguisher is in the nature of a vise or holderin which the lighted butt is retained and its fire completelyextinguished before the butt is dropped into the receptacle. For thispurpose a fixed member of the vise is attached to the underside of thepartition to extend across a portion of the lower end of the hopper, anda complementary movable crushing and retaining member is mounted on thepartition for co-action therewith.

The fixed jaw includes a flat plate H having a right-angular jawincluding a vertical wall l2 and a horizontal wall or flange l3, and theplate is attached, as by rivets M to the partition.

The movable jaw is of the slidable, spring retracted type and itincludes a slide plate l5 having at its inner end a vertical wall I 6and a horizontal wall l1; and this right-angular jaw coacts with thecomplementary fixed jaw I2l3 not only to crush the lighted butt, butalso to retain the extinguished butt until the lighted embers arecompletely eliminated, before the butt is released for dropping into thereceptacle.

The spring retracted reciprocable slide and jaw are mounted to slide intwo parallel angle rails or guides l8, l8 depending from the undersideof the partition and these rails are united by a flat plate l9 having anintegral cross flange 20 forming a stop for the lever that operates themovable Jaw.

The slide plate 15 is also equipped with a cross flange 2| for co-actionwith the operating lever, and this flange is provided with a pair ofspaced sleeves 22 that are slidably mounted over a pair of complementarypins 23 fixed by soldering, orthe like at the inner side of an end wallof the receptacle or container.

For forwardly plunging the movable crushing jaw toward closed positionand retaining the jaw against the lighted butt, a pair of springs 24,24, are mounted upon the sleeves and pins and in.- terposed between theflange 2| and an end wall of the container; and of course the springshold the empty jaws in closed position to seal the opening to theinterior of the air tight receptacle.

For opening the jaws, a crank-lever 28 having a crank arm 25 isjournaled at 26, 26, near the bottom of the container and in its sidewalls, and an exterior handle 2! may be turned causing coaction of thecrank arm 25, with the two flanges 20 and 21 as the movable jaw isreciprocated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

y 1. In a safety ash and butt tray including a container having aninterior partition interior of the container and a funnel shaped hopperopen to the interior of the container, the combination with a fixedangular crushing jaw mounted at the underside of the partition, of a.slide mounted under the partition and a crushing jaw rigid therewith,and means for reciprocating the slide.

2. In a safety ash and butt tray including a container, a horizontalpartition interior of the container, and a funnel shaped hopper open tothe interior of the container, the combination with anangular jaw fixedon the partition, of a slidableijaw angular in cross section, guidingmeans for the slidable jaw mounted on the partition, a crank armjournaled in the container for reciprocating the slidable jaw, and ahandle for the crank arm exterior of the container.

3. The combination with a container having a partition interior of theconainer, a hopper mounted on the partition and open to the interior ofthe container, and a fixed right-angular jaw mounted on the partitionbeneath the hopper, of a spring-pressed slide plate, and guides thereforon the partition, a right angular crushing jaw rigid with the slideplate, a crank arm journaled in the container for actuating the slideplate, and a handle for the crank arm exterior of the container.

4. The combination with a container having a partition interior of thecontainer, a hopper mounted on the partition and open to the interior ofthe container, and afixed right-angular jaw mounted on the partitionbeneath the hopper, of a slide plate, and guides therefor on thepartition, a right-angular crushing jaw rigid with the slide plate, apair of sleeves rigid with the plate and supporting pins for saidsleeves rigid with the container wall, springs surrounding said sleevesand pins and interposed between the container wall and said slide plate,a crank arm journaled in the container and a handle on the arm, astopflange on the guides for the crank arm, and a push-flange on theslide plate for co-action with the crank arm exterior of the container.

HAROLD R. WORTHING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

